Cocktail Hour Overlooking the Zambezi River
Some things are simply better with a cold glass in hand: The sound of the Zambezi River flowing past, the warmth of the late afternoon light, a hornbill landing imperiously in the canopy above your head. These are the kinds of moments our al fresco bar was made for.
You’ll find it under a canopy of indigenous trees on the sweeping lawns between our hotel and the river, open every day from 10am to 10pm.
From freshly pressed juices in the morning to cocktails and wine as the sun sets, here’s how your day might look, one glass at a time…
Mid-Morning: Alcohol-Free Heroes
The Passion Fruit Spritzer
The morning is the river’s quietest hour, and our Passion Fruit Spritzer suits it well. Passion fruit cordial and fresh fruit juice, lengthened with soda water and lifted with a dash of bitters; cooling, effervescent, and alcohol-free in a way that feels like a genuine choice rather than a compromise. The flavour is tropical and bright, with the bitters keeping the sweetness at bay enough to avoid tipping into sugar-shock territory. It’s the drink for guests who want to ease into the day rather than rush at it, and it goes down just as well beside our pool.
The Malawi Shandy
Ginger ale and ginger beer form the backbone, brightened by a generous pour of Mazowe Orange Cordial (a Zimbabwean institution, produced in the Mazowe Valley north of Harare and a fixture in households across the country for generations) and settled with a dash of bitters. Alcohol-free, gently spiced, and deeply regional, it feels like a proper introduction to Victoria Falls.
Afternoon: Beat the Heat
The Flavoured Gin & Tonic
When the heat settles in properly, the gin and tonic earns its reputation as the drink of the African outdoors. Gin over ice, topped with tonic, and finished with a garnish of your choosing: cucumber and mint for something clean and botanical, blood orange for a bright citrus lift, or blueberry if you’re in the mood for something tangy you can munch on when you finish your drink. The G&T stays the same, but the character shifts depending on what you choose. It’s worth sampling more than one – the bar is open until 10pm, after all.
Pimm’s Cup
For something longer and more leisurely, the Pimm’s Cup is the afternoon drink that refuses to be rushed. Pimm’s No. 1, that distinctly British, faintly herbal liqueur that found its second home in the heat of the southern hemisphere, shaken with Absolut Vodka and Cointreau, and lengthened with ginger ale. Light, fruity, and quietly complex. Best enjoyed over plenty of ice – especially on a hot afternoon.
Image Credit (Elephants): Viviene Barberis
Sundowner: Sip & Savour
The Zambezi Blue Haze
Our signature cocktail is named for the river, so the timing of your first Zambezi Blue Haze matters. Vodka, Blue Curaçao, and lemonade: straightforward, but striking in the glass. This is the drink to have in hand as the sun sets – it delivers on flavour and makes a rather wonderful prop for a sundowner photo, with the Ra-Ikane boats cruising past and your favourite people standing alongside you.
Wine From Down South
Not everyone reaches for a cocktail at sunset, and for those who prefer a glass of wine as the light fades, we’re proud to offer a well-chosen selection from Fairview, one of the Cape Winelands’ most celebrated estates, based in Paarl in South Africa’s Western Cape. Whites include a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a fresh Chenin Blanc, and a rounded Chardonnay; reds span a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, and a Pinotage (South Africa’s very own grape variety) with a Rosé for those golden-hour moments. A selection that travels well, whether you’re winding down from a day on the river or enjoying the conversation that’s flowing across the table.
Image Credit (Wine): Instagram | @chichiashleyzimb
After Dinner
When dinner is done and the night has properly arrived, our bar has two classics to see you through the final hour. The Don Pedro, a beloved South African dessert drink of Amarula, Kahlua, or whisky blended with ice cream, is as indulgent as it sounds, and sincerely yummy. For something warmer, our Irish Coffee offers the same spirit choices combined with hot coffee: a measure of comfort that suits the cooler air of a Zambezi evening perfectly.
Setting the Scene
Our al fresco bar sits under a canopy of indigenous trees between the restaurant and the lawns that slope to the river’s edge; sheltered enough to be comfortable through the heat of the day, yet open enough that the Zambezi is always present. As evening draws in, elephants and other wildlife meander onto the lower lawns or opposite bank to graze, unhurried and largely unbothered by the guests watching quietly from a distance. It’s one of those settings that requires very little of you; simply sip on your drink, enjoy the company you’re with (or your own) and marvel at the exquisite scene before you. Zimbabwe is funny that way – before you know it, it’s crept right into your heart. Incredible peace alongside untamed wilderness.
We’ll see you when you’re ready. (Sooner rather than later, we hope!)
